TalkTalk ditches passwords for voice recognition technology after hack

TalkTalk is allowing its customers to access their accounts using voice recognition, several months after a major cyber-attack compromised the personal details of hundreds of thousands of customers.

Instead of being asked for personal details such as their password or mother’s maiden name, people who ring up the company’s customer support hotline will be able to confirm their identity using biometric technology that recognises the characteristics of their voice.

When subscribers next ring TalkTalk’s customer service line, they will be asked to repeat a phrase three times, which is then used to build a blueprint of the customer’s voice.

TalkTalk said voice recognition technology is one of the most secure ways to verify people’s identity, recognising more than 100 different aspects of a person’s voice including the shape of their larynx and nasal passage. The company also said it would speed up its often-criticised customer service operations, which are consistently rated worse than its peers.

It comes five months after the personal details of 157,000 customers were breached in a cyber attack that saw bank account and credit card details stolen. TalkTalk has lost more than 100,000 subscribers since the incident and estimates it will cost the company £60 million.

UK banks have already begun introducing voice recognition technology but TalkTalk says it is the first outside the banking sector to do so. “The launch forms part of TalkTalk’s continual focus on improving customers’ experience and its long term strategy to ensure customer data is as secure as possible,” the company said.

“Over time, voice biometrics will reduce the amount of sensitive personal information customers will have to disclose, as when a customer calls, the advisor will only see if the customer is verified or not.”

Biometric authentication is seen as an increasingly-important way to secure customers’ details without them having to remember many different passwords or put their security at risk by using just one. Amazon recently patented a way of verifying payments using selfie photos, in which software scans the user’s face to confirm their identity.

What happened?

The website of phone and broadband company TalkTalk was hacked by cybercriminals in October 2015

What data was stolen?

Email addresses, names, dates of birth, and phone numbers were accessed. Other data included 16,000 bank account numbers and sort codes, and 28,000 obscured credit and debit card details

How many people are affected?

Talk Talk says 157,000 customers were affected

How is Talk Talk affected?

Talk Talk has conceded that it could face a compensation bill running into millions

What should I do?

If you're a customer, Talk Talk recommends you:

• watch your accounts and report any unusual activity
• check your credit report with the main credit agencies
• never give out your bank details, passwords or pin number over the phone

Source | http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Pralhad Jadhav

Senior Librarian

Khaitan & Co

Upcoming Event | National Conference on Future Librarianship: Innovation for Excellence (NCFL 2016) during April 22-23, 2016.

Note | If anybody use these post for forwarding in any social media coverage or covering in the Newsletter please give due credit to those who are taking efforts for the same.